Beginners Makeup Kit Essentials

Creating a make-up kit can be very daunting when you are starting out with make-up. I have created a very basic guide that can hopefully help you pick what you really need to start your make-up collection. When I was younger I hadn’t a clue about make-up but really it is all about trial and error. Staying true to my roots I have only included drugstore beauty items so you won’t be spending loads of unnecessary money.

First things first you need some good make-up brushes. Good quality make-up brushes are an essential for any makeup kit. My favourite from the drugstore have to be real techniques. These brushes are sold both separately and in packs. I would recommend buying the core collection to start off with. This set retails for around £20, but is well worth the price for the quality. The core collection which has orange packaging includes a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush.

Next I would recommend buying a foundation and concealer that matches your skin perfectly. When starting out with make-up concealer in particular will be your new best friend, its great for concealing imperfections and dark under eye circles. My favourite for foundation has to be the l'oreal true match as it comes in a variety of shades and you'll easily find your shade. What is also great is it works with a variety of skin tones and textures, and has fantastic coverage. For concealer definitely try out the Collection lasting perfection concealer.

To set ensure your foundation and concealer will last all day you will need to use a powder. As you may know already if you have been following my blog for a while I swear by Ben Nye's colourless setting powder, however before I discovered this powder I used to use the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. This is a fantastic little product from the drugstore. It's great if you are super oily or super dry skin as it works well with both skin types.

Next is my favourite beauty item of all due to how much it can transform your overall make-up look- mascara! From the drugstore Maybelline really step up there game and take the show for me. Although I would recommend any of their mascara's, if I had to choose just one it would have to be the Lash Sensational. Be careful when you are applying if you are new to make-up, mascara can become very messy quickly. For a more natural look opt for brown mascara, and to really make those eyes pop go for black.

Blush is something I feel brings life back into the face! Choose a colour you enjoy and apply it with your new brush! I would recommend trying out the new Blush by 3 blush palette by Sleek make-up. For only £9.99 you get three beautiful blush colours that are highly pigmented and blend nicely into the skin. I particularly like pumpkin and sugar. Swirl your brush into the powder and tap off the excess. Gently sweep the colour onto your cheeks, starting from the apples brushing back into the hair line.      

Finally, to finish off your look you'll need some lippy. I feel like adding some colour to your lips just pulls the entire look together. I would try the Maybelline Baby lips lip balm in cherry. Not only does it smell great and hydrate your lips, it looks great and suits a tone of skin tones. This product is highly under rated for being only £2.99.

And that concludes my make-up essentials for beginners! Remember, make-up is meant to be fun, so experiment as much as you want to find what suits for you. Until next time,

Beauty Wish List: Spring 2016

Hello beauties! Today I wanted to compose a blog post of some of the beauty products I am dying to try this spring. I love reading wish lists and they always give me inspiration on what to pick up on my next beauty shop. Hopefully my blog post will bring you some inspiration and maybe help inform you of some of the new products that have launched.

Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette

Currently, in Boots at the moment this palette is a steal at £7.99. When this was advertised on the TV and I first seen it for the first time I knew I needed this product in my life. The eyeshadow colours in this palette remind me very much of the Naked 3 palette by Urban Decay. I am really excited to pick this palette up and try out some blushed nude eyeshadow looks.

Nivea Men's Post Shaving Balm

You may be reading this blog post and thinking I've gone absolutely bonkers, but bear with me for two minutes and I'll explain myself.

Recently all over YouTube I have seen bloggers rave about this little product and using it before they apply their makeup so of course I had to give it a go. I was a little sceptical at first, not really understanding why I was putting a men's post shaving balm on my face, but miraculously this did work wonders.

Best of Drugstore: Blushers

If there’s one product that can instantaneously transform your make-up it has to be blush. Most make-up artists will tell you that your face make-up isn’t complete without a light sweeping of colour over your cheeks. I do believe that blusher can make my skin look healthy and radiant when it normally appears sallow and tired.

But finding the right blush to give you the desired effect you want can be tricky. No amount of technique can save your make-up from appearing chalky, oily or clown like. To help, I have compiled a few of my favourite blushers from the drugstore that will help you achieve the perfect blush look.

March Favourites

Another month past, can youse believe we are a quarter way through 2016 already? As always I wanted to share my favourites of the month. Unfortunately, I don’t have many to talk about but there are some little treasures you may like to try out.

The Body Shop Body Butter

First up is this body butter by The Body Shop. I absolutely adore these body butters, however they are slightly pricey. So when I stopped by and seen there was 50% I just had to pick up a couple. My favourite scent of this product 100% has to be “passion fruit”. This product is very thick and creamy and is fantastic for adding moisture back into the skin. This product used to be a favourite of mine last summer, so the scent of this reminds me of many good memories from last year.

Handbag Beauty Items

My bag pretty much contains everything but the kitchen sink. I am very much a “oh but what if I need this” type of person and have a hard time cleaning out my bag and getting rid of the unnecessary bits and bobs! However, amongst what is mostly junk I have a small number of beauty products that I keep in my Forever 21 beauty bag which I thought I would share with you all today.

Soap & Glory Hand Food

The first product that I like to keep in my handbag for easy access is hand cream. I am someone who suffers from very dry hands so I like to regularly moisturise them. The Soap and Glory hand food is definitely one of the best hand creams I have used plus it smells absolutely delicious!

Easter Weekend Beauty

The long weekend has finally arrived! Sweet-toothed beauty fans rejoice; you have the perfect excuse to eat your body weight in chocolate. As for make-up I have listed below a few ideas that I think will get you through this Easter weekend.

The Best Hair Texturizing Products

 

I’m a girl that loves my hair to be big and voluminous with very little effort. There has been a lot of products that have popped onto the market over the years, and today I wanted to share with youse some of my faves; which of course are all budget friendly.

How to Deep Clean Make-up Brushes

 

One thing I really hate to do is clean my make-up brushes, but unfortunately it is a must. Every time you use a make-up brush you are picking up bacteria on your face, which is then left to fester on the brush after use. Therefore, the next time you pick up this brush to use the bacteria that has been left to fester is going to be applied to your face when you go to use the brush. Disgusting isn’t it? It’s a vicious cycle and it will make you break out, unless of course you clean your brushes. Obviously brushes that are predominantly used for eyeshadow will not be a problem and can be washed every few weeks. However ones that are used on a regular basis for face products should be washed regularly, such as foundation brushes. If you suffer from acne or problematic skin, try washing your brushes more than normal and see if you notice an improvement.

3 Tips to Make Your Nail Polish Dry Faster

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate painting my nails solely on the fact the polish can take so long to dry. Suddenly, once I have started painting my nails I suddenly have a hundred and one things to do. But fear no more friends, I have done my research and wanted to share the quick ways you can make your nail polish dry in a matter of seconds

How to Fill in Your Brows

Hey guys hope you are well! Today I wanted to share some of my quick tips for achieve beautiful brows. I have come to realise that eyebrows are a very personal thing, and everyone prefers their eyebrows looking a certain way. Where one style of brow may suit one person, another may suit someone else. However, hopefully these simple basic tips will help you if you are struggling to fill them in.

The Best Drugstore Foundations

Recently, I was going through my foundation collection and realised there was a fair few drugstore foundations lurking around in there. When it comes to foundations, I think the drugstore have got it pretty spot on and there is one that tailors to everyone’s skin type and desired finish. Today I am going to share with you a few of my faves, and you will realise that achieving flawless skin really isn’t that expensive.

How to Conceal Spots

 

Everyone has days where their skin looks flawless and they look amazing: but today is sadly not one of those days for me. When life gets stressful, this definitely shows on my skin. Waking up this morning I was greeted by gross red blotchy spots on my face, which inspired me to make this blog post. Sometimes, it can be difficult to cover up blemishes with just a plain foundation, however using the correct concealer and using some of my steps below will help make a bad skin day better.

Ariana Grande Inspired Hair

Ariana Grande's popularity is growing by the day and she is well known for her signature hairstyles that lots of people love. Today I am going to teach you how to achieve her half up, half down hairstyle that is perfect for every occasion.

This hairstyle is a great way of keeping your hair out of your face whilst still looking soft and pretty with your locks falling down the sides and back. It's super girly and playful, and most importantly very easy to achieve at home.

How to Clip in Hair Extensions

If you didn’t know already I am obsessed with hair extensions. For almost 2 years I have been an avid wearer of hair extensions and will literally never leave the house without them clipped in. Today I wanted to share my quick steps on how to clip in hair extensions and help you achieve beautiful long locks.

How to Take the Perfect Selfie

Hello my beauties, I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and are doing well. Today I wanted to blog about how to take the perfect selfie. Although selfies are just a bit of fun it can be annoying when you can’t capture the perfect one. Here are a few of my quick tips and tricks, I hope you enjoy and I will see you all in my next blog post,

My Top 5 Favourite Perfumes

I am obsessed with smells. To me there is nothing better in the world when I smell good, when someone else smells good or when a place smells good. Today I am going to tell youse all about my favourite perfumes. I could write a 10000 word essay on them all, but instead I have narrowed it down to 5. Perfume is one of those products that I don't mind splurging money on, and look at it as an investment for the greater good- because no one wants me smelling bad.

How to 'Bake' Your Make-up

Cropping up all over you tube, are tutorials on how to 'bake' or 'cook' your make-up. Although this term has been used in drag for years, it came to be more well known when Kim Kardashians make-up artist posted this trick over Instagram.

'Baking' your make-up consists of letting translucent powder sit on your face between 5 and 10 minutes. This allows the heat from your face to set the foundation and concealer. Once dusted off, it should leave you with a flawless, crease less finish.

To start, ensure your eye area is well hydrated. Applying eye cream around this area will hydrate and plump the skin, whilst minimising the appearance of any fine lines. I like to use the Palmers Cocoa Butter Smoothing Eye Cream.

Next apply a thick concealer under the eyes. Although concealer contains oils that have a tendency to crease, if set properly this will not happen. I use the Collection 2000 Concealer, applying it in a triangle shape under my eyes and blending.

Next dust on a layer of translucent powder. Try using a fluffy eyeshadow brush to pack this onto the area where we just put concealer. A particular favourite of mine is the Ben Nye Translucent Powder.

Next comes the 'baking'! Using a damp Real Techniques Beauty Sponge, dip into the translucent powder and dab generously over the area where you applied concealer. Leave the powder to set for around 5 to 10 minutes.

Finally dust off the excess powder with that same fluffy eyeshadow brush and boom you are baked! Leave a comment below and let me know how you found this technique.

Until next time beauties, have an amazing day and I'll see you in my next post,

At Home Pamper Routine



I don't know about youse, but for me this week has been hectic and stressful! When life does get a bit too much, I love to take some me time and pamper myself. Today I am going to show you how you can also have an at home pamper session! Because who doesn't love a good pampering?

First off, we need to start with picking the right scented candle. I am a massive fan of Yankee Candles and have many favourites that I like to use. What is also great is Yankee Candles can be found online for extremely good prices. My favourite at the moment that I like to burn when I'm feeling pretty stressed is Pink Sands. It reminds me of being on holiday, and what's more relaxing than the thought of lying on a nice sunny beach with a cocktail in hand?

Next up is of course music! I love to listen to music to relax, whether they be chilled or upbeat songs. At the moment I am OBSESSING over the 1975! Their song 'Somebody Else' is just incredible.

And of course it is a given that we have to wear fluffy dressing gowns, what pampering session would be right without one? This step isn't necessary and some cosy jammies will do instead. But if you are like me and want to feel extra pampered, grab that robe girl.

A beverage is a must when we are pampering ourselves since we have to stay hydrated. I have loved sipping on some freezing cold peach ice tea at the moment. Makes me feel refreshed.

Next, it's time to annoyingly take the make-up off. Using make-up wipes will help do the job plus it's quick and simple too. Afterwards wash your face with your everyday cleanser and you are good to go.

The next step in our pamper routine is so obvious- a bath! I love to a warm bubble bath filled with lush goodies. Not only do I come out smelling amazing but I truly feel relaxed afterwards.

Next I will wash my hair with my usual shampoo and conditioner, and if I'm feeling my hair needs some extra TLC I will follow up with a hair mask. After I will wash my body and make sure I'm not only clean but I'm smelling lush. My favourite at the moment is the Foam Burst body washes by Imperial Leather. The Japanese Spa scent is to die for!

Once I am done relaxing in my bubble bath, I will wrap my hair up in a towel and hop on out. Drying off my body, I apply some of the Soap and Glory The Righteous body butter.

It's face mask time!! Usually I will make a home made face mask and pop this on over my face. If you haven't checked it out already here are some of my favourite home made face masks.

To pamper my lips, I will take a little bit of sugar and my toothbrush. Applying the sugar to my lips and lightly exfoliating with my toothbrush over top will help get rid of the dry patches and give me soft, smooth lips.

For the grand finale, time to paint those nails! And there you go, that's my own at home pamper session. I hope you are feeling nice and relaxed after following some or all of these steps.

Until next time my beauties, take care and I'll see you in my next post,

Strobing 101

Why look sculpted when you can look dewy?

Just when we had started wrapping our heads around contouring a new make-up craze has occurred. In simple terms, strobing is basically just a fancy word for highlighting. Forget about contouring, going crazy with the highlighter will give you a dewy, more youthful glow. To keep you on the right track and keep you looking glowy and not sweaty, here are a few tips.

Prep your skin
Strobing is all about getting the perfect glow. Moisturising your skin  will replenish dull, dry skin. I would recommend using an oil free moisturiser.

Pick the Correct Shade
Use a Highlighter that is going to suit and compliment your skin tone. If you have fair skin, opt for a pink champagne colour. If you have medium skin, go for a peach champagne colour. If you have olive skin, a gold shade will look perfect on you. And if you have dark skin opt for a beautiful copper colour. Instead of going out and buying an expensive highlighter, why not try using a sheer eyeshadow.

Highlight the Parts that Catch the Light

Along your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, below your brow bone, along your temples the corner of your eyes and your Cupid's bow are all places where you should be placing your highlighter. This will enhance your natural features without going overboard.

Blend
After you've applied your highlighter, using either your fingertips or a fan brush blend out the product to avoid any harsh edges.

For those of you will oily skin, like myself, opt for a matte bronzer or blush to avoid looking like a disco ball.

And that's it beauties! To me this isn't as hard to grasp as contouring, and gives a beautiful youthful glow- perfect for spring!

Until next times lovelies, take care and I'll speak to youse in my next post,